With You // J.G

Chapter 11

Jack's POV

I pull over as Gabrielle loses her mind. This is the way she was when I found her on the curb last week; but worse. I don't know what to do really. All I do is scream her name. She starts to wheeze and I watch the life drain out of her eyes.

I'm such an idiot. Think Jack, think. Her breathing finally turns so small pulses. Thank God she's getting better. I call her name one more time and she seems to hear me.

"Gabrielle? Are you okay?" She doesn't reply. I watch her face go from hurt to confusement.

"What's wrong?" She gets out of the car, so do I. I run around the car to catch up with her.

"What are you doing?!" I scream. She pushes me out of the way but I quickly run back to her. She begins to walk into the middle of the street. I notice a car decending down the street towards us. I do what I have to do. I push her down to the side of the road and pin her onto the grass.

"Snap out of it!" She struggles to get up but I'm doing everything I can to keep her down. The car swiftly passes us and disappears down the hill.

This isn't Gabrielle. It's something else that took over. I can tell. The story is no longer behind her eyes, her lips are in a straight line instead of relaxed. She struggles to breathe.

"Grabrielle! Wake up!" Her whole body relaxes. I watch her eyes turn back to normal. She furrows her eyebrows and then I fall down next to her. I'm out of breath from screaming so much. I glance over at her and her back is turned to me. As I turn her over I realize the red patches on her white sleeves. I hold her close, she doesn't try to pull away. It feels good to finally have her on my side. She burries her face into my chest. I stroke her back.

"Shh, it's okay," I tell her. When she calms down I begin to roll up her sleeves to see why she's bleeding. I see tiny pieces of glass wedged in her left arm and vertical cuts on her right. Not only did I see those, I also saw under them hundreds of horizontal scars. She shakes her head and then cries harder into my chest.

"Who did this to you?" I whisper. I run my fingers over the scars on her right arm. That's when I realize, she did this to herself. I never knew she felt this way. The cut on her cheek begins to bleed and she moves her head off of my chest, not wanting to bleed on me. Instead of telling her it's okay, I slightly push her head back onto my chest.

There's this feeling in the pit of my stomach. I can't quite grasp what it is, but I like it. It's something I've never felt before. I don't know if it's happiness, confidence, safety... love? It can't be love. I'm in love with Kate. But I don't know. I've never felt this with Kate. But, maybe it's something that isn't meant to be felt with Kate.

Ugh I'm such an idiot! I've always treated her so badly. Now I can't help but wonder, am I the reason she does this to herself? Then I remember... her parents abuse her. Everything makes sense now.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper into her hair. I don't think she heard me but I don't care. I'm going to make it up to her.

She stands up and then begins to walk away from me. Wait, what? I catch up with her.

"We need to talk about what just happened!" Damnit. I didn't mean to say talk. She rolls her eyes and turns away. I accidently grab her left arm. Gosh... I mess everything up. I lift her chin. I can't help but notice her flawless skin, messy hair and the glimmer in her hurting eyes.

"You're safe with me. I'll be with you." When I say those words she looks me in the eye. I give her a slight smile while she just stares at me.
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We end up skipping school together. I take her to my empty house. She stares at all of her surroundings, mouth slightly opened. Shit. My mom's at school. She'll know I skipped with Gabrielle. Whatever.